adventures in family, faith, and Down syndrome

Lesson #22: We take our colds very seriously.

by Maggie on October 22, 2014

Sitting in the doctor’s office, staring at the little yellow box. It keeps beeping. Tessa’s kicking the nurse, willing her to leave her finger alone. We wait (im)patiently for the reading to appear and it doesn’t seem to be in any rush to do so. There are fewer moments these days that feel longer than the ones that separate you from a potential hospital stay.

This time, the reading was good.

Sinus infection. Pink eye. Round of antibiotics. Have a nice day!

Colds are a challenge for some children with Down syndrome. There are a few reasons for that – smaller airways and sinus cavities, low muscle tone (slowing becoming the bane of our existence), which makes it a challenge to build enough strength to cough out the gunk… All I know is that I’m not interested in another stay in the PICU. So, I’ve become the hyper-vigilant Mother Bear that I was trying so hard to avoid.

When Ellie was younger, I had no fear about her catching a few minor colds. Is that odd? It’s not like I hoped that she would feel crummy or that she would have to deal with the symptoms. Goodness knows that the sleepless nights weren’t thrilling. I was just all about building up her immunity while she was young and exposing her to colds is one way to do that. In no way is this my approach with Tessa. I have no interest in exposure. We aren’t living in a bubble, nor do I expect every person who has a sniffle to stay away, but I’m certainly more cautious about who holds the baby. I would never (Never.) have taken Ellie to the doctor for the cold symptoms that Tessa displayed today. But this is a whole new ballgame, isn’t it?

(By the way.. do you see the new greenish paint in my kitchen?? LOVE it.)

Like this:

Related

2 responses to “Lesson #22: We take our colds very seriously.”

Boy do I hear you on this one. After spending 4 weeks in hospital I carry a bottle of hand sanitizer in my bag for myself and for people who might want to touch the Peanut. I’ve also warned friends and family that if they have been sick they are not coming anywhere near her. And I am the furthest thing from a germphobe normally.